South Africa Feels the Strain of Uncertain Power Supplies

JOHANNESBURG--January 14, 2015--Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Johannesburg, South Africa)--Grudgingly, the South African public is being forced to come to terms with the basic facts of power supply and technology. As the country's industry and commerce ramps up after the summer holidays, the threat of load shedding looms. Last week, two 600-megawatt (MW) units went off the national grid, exacerbating the razor thin power reserve margins. More generating unit failures can be anticipated as the pressured and aging system gasps for required maintenance time. Within this article: Overview of power issues faced by South Africa.